Book Blitz: The Imparting (Ascension #3) by Heather Letto

Imparting
Heather Letto
(Ascension #3)
Publication date: December 15th 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia

The clock is ticking.
Chan has been chosen to deliver the good news and healing antidote… If his body doesn’t reject the antibodies.
Pete, who has been imprisoned and tortured by the Council, has been selected by Retter to be ambassador to the residents. But, does he possess the authority needed to persuade an entire city of skeptics?
And, while in the Open Air, Fran struggles with her own failures questioning whether she’ll always be an outcast living on the fringe of society.
In this final installment of The Ascension Series, love, sacrifice, and forgiveness go head to head with evil in an effort to save a city.
And a girl.

Goodreads / Amazon

Previous books in the series:

Ascension Series Book Trailer:

EXCERPT:

She smiled.

Although she couldn’t kill an inanimate object, Fran knew she could easily take out a small lens. She glanced around, hoping to distinguish the Graphie in front her from his life-giving light source. Because of the darkened backdrop, for the first time, Fran was easily able to follow one of his beams to a nearby potted palm. She hurried to the plant and squatted low, feeling around for anything plastic or metal. Her fingers lit under a green-tinged beam, and she moved her hand along the surface. When she felt the nub, Fran smiled and stood. With the toe of her hard boot, she kicked the lens until she felt it shatter. Fran shot a glance over her shoulder to check on the guard, thrilled to see he had taken on a strange, two-dimensional shape. She scanned the area for another beam.
The gaming board.
Fran hurried to the board and ran her hand along the pole that it sat upon. With her arm fully extended overhead, she felt the nub. Too high to kick. She looked around for something to hit it with when an idea struck her. After running back to the plant, she grabbed a handful of glass stones from the pot and pulled the sling from her side. Load, swing, and release.
Although Fran couldn’t hear the whistle of the stone over the Agora’s white noise, the undeniable crack of the lens reached her ears as bits of plastic flew from the pole. She whipped around to face the Graphie again, but now only a single red beam of light pulsed where he had stood. She followed the red beam to the leg of a nearby bench and laughed out loud as she wound up and launched her stone. The last ray died out and as the area darkened, Fran could hear a chatter rise from the small crowd of residents now released from the Graphie’s hold.

Author Bio:
Heather Letto was born in the hills of Ohio and raised in the 'burbs of Chicago yet fancies herself a stranger in a stranger world. She wears her creativity like a second skin and is immensely grateful to her heavenly Father who gives good gifts. Her debut novel, Impervious, is the first book of The Ascension series, a trilogy written for young adults.

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Book Blitz: The Insanity Series by Cameron Jace

Insanity
Cameron Jace
(The Complete Books 1-3)
Publication date: October 28th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

A Top 100 Bestseller!
Amazon readers love it – over 500 reviews of 5* and 4* for the first book in the series.
‘Most absorbing fantasy read in years!’ W. McNaughton.
‘Insanity is A Summer Hit!!!’ Kindle Gram
‘An insane page turner’ – Kindle reviewer
‘Engrossingly fun!’ Rhonda Miller.
‘A truly twisted tale….fantastic!’ Sheri A. Wilkinsonon
Hannibal Meets Alice in Wonderland in this fantasy page-turning thriller.
After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder becomes a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. All but a hookah-smoking professor named Carter Pillar who believes he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll’s paintings, photographs, and finding Wonderland’s real whereabouts.
Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the Wonderland Monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.
Larger than life characters, intricate mysteries, engrossing fun, and intriguing historical locations. Insanity will thrill you, makes turns pages, and stay with you forever.

Warning: intended for insane audience only.

Goodreads / Amazon

You can also purchase book 5 – Wonder – today!

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EXCERPT:

Underground Ward, the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, Oxford

The writing on the wall says it’s January 14. I am not sure what year. I haven’t been sure of many things lately, but I’m wondering if it’s my handwriting I’m looking at.
There is an exquisite-looking key drawn underneath the date. It’s carved with a sharp instrument, probably a broken mirror. I couldn’t have written this. I’m terrified of mirrors. They love to call it Catoptrophobia around here.
Unlike those of the regular patients in the asylum, my room is windowless, stripped down to a single mattress in the middle, a sink, and bucket for peeing—or puking—when necessary. The tiles on the floor are black and white squares, like a chessboard. I never step on black. Always white. Again, I’m not sure why.
The walls are smeared with a greasy, pale green everywhere. I wonder if it’s the previous patient’s brains spattered all over from shock therapy.

In the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, politely known as the Warneford Hospital, the doctors have a fondness for shock therapy. They love watching patients with bulging eyes and shivering limbs begging for relief from the electricity. It makes me question who is really mad here.
It’s been a while since I was sent to shock therapy myself. Dr. Tom Truckle, my supervising physician, said I don’t need it anymore, particularly after I stopped mentioning Wonderland. He told me that I used to talk about it all the time; a dangerous place I claim I had been whisked away to, when my elder sister lost me when I was seven.
Truth is, I don’t remember this Wonderland they are talking about. I don’t even know why I am here. My oldest vivid memory is from a week ago. Before that, it’s all a purple haze.
I have only one friend in this asylum. It’s not a doctor or a nurse. And it’s not a human. It doesn’t hate, envy, or point a finger at you. My friend is an orange flower I keep in a pot—a Tiger Lily I can’t live without. I keep it safe next to a small crack in the wall, where a single ray of sun sneaks through for only ten minutes a day. It might not be enough light to grow a flower, but my Tiger Lily is a tough girl.
Each day I save half of the water they give me for my flower. As for me, better thirsty than mad. My orange flower is also my personal rain check for my sanity. If I talk to her and she doesn’t reply, I know I am not hallucinating. If she talks back to me, all kinds of nonsense starts to happen. Insanity prevails. There must be a reason why I am here. It doesn’t mean I will easily give in to such a fate.
“Alice Pleasance Wonder. Are you ready?” The nurse knocks with her electric prod on my steel door. Her name is Waltraud Wagner. She is German. Everything she says sounds like a threat, and she smells like smoke. My fellow mad people say she is a Nazi—that she used to kill her own patients back in Germany. “Get avay vrom za dor. I’m coming in,” she demands.
As I listen to the rattling of her large keychain, my heart pounds in my chest. The turn of the key makes me want to swallow. When the door opens, all I can think of is choking her before she begins to hurt me. Sadly, her neck is too thick for my nimble hands. I stare at her almost-square figure for a moment. Everything about her is four sizes too big. All except her feet, which are as small as mine. My sympathies, little feet.
“Time for your daily ten-minute break upstairs.” She approaches me with a straitjacket, a devilish grin on her face. I never get out. My ward is underground, and I’m only allowed to take my break in another empty ward upstairs where patients love to play soccer.
A big, muscled warden stands behind Waltraud. Thomas Ogier. He is bald, and has an angry-red face and a silver tooth he likes to flash whenever he sees me. His biceps are the size of my head. I have a hard time believing he was ever a four-pound baby.
“Slide your arms into the jacket,” Waltraud demands in her German accent, a cigarette puckered between her lips. “Slow and easy, Alice.” She nods at Warden Ogier, in case I misbehave.
I comply obediently and stretch out my arms for her to do whatever she wants. Waltraud twists my right arm slightly and checks the tattoo on my arm. It’s the only tattoo I have. It’s a handwritten sentence that looks like a thick armband from afar. Waltraud feels the need to read it aloud: “‘I can’t go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.'” I was told I had written it while still believing in Wonderland. “That Alice in Wonderland has really messed with your head,” she says as she puffs smoke into my face.
The tattoo and Waltraud’s mocking is the least of my concerns right now. I let her tie me up, and while she does, I close my eyes. I imagine I am a sixteenth-century princess, some kind of lucky Cinderella, being squeezed into a corset by my chain-smoking servant in a fairy tale castle above ground, just about to go meet my prince charming. Such imagery always helps me breathe. I once thought that it was hope that saved the day, not sanity. I need to cool down before I begin my grand escape.

Author Bio:
Cameron Jace is the bestselling author of the Grimm Diaries and Insanity series. A graduate of the college of Architecture, collector of out-of-print books, he is obsessed with the origins of folk tales and the mysterious storytellers who spread them. Three of his books made Amazon's Top 100 Customer Favorites in Kindle 2013 & Amazon's Top 100 kindle list. Cameron lives in California with his girlfriend. When he isn't writing or collecting books, he is playing music.
Sign up for his mailing list here: http://bit.ly/1sxp3p1

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Cover Reveal: Darkness Fair (The Dark Cycle #2) by Rachel A. Marks

Review: Noir (The Illumination Paradox #2) by Jacqueline Garlick

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Title: Noir

Series: The Illumination Paradox #2

Author: Jacqueline Garlick

Publisher: Skyscape

Publication Date: January 26, 2015

Pages: 372

Genres: young adult, steampunk, science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction

Source: Review copy from Netgalley

Rating: 4

I received this book for free from Skyscape via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis

Losing him would make her overcast world one shade darker.…

Navigating her way through nightmarish lands devoid of sunlight, Eyelet Elsworth races to free her beloved Urlick Babbit, the first person to understand and accept her—differences and all. Framed for murder and sentenced to execution, Urlick is running out of time. And the Commonwealth’s tyrannical new ruler, Penelope Rapture, is strangely eager to speed up the clock.

Aided by a band of unusual yet loyal associates, Eyelet stumbles upon a startling rumor. And as she unravels a secret that could challenge Penelope’s claim to the throne, Penelope vows to divert Eyelet’s journey—straight to a dark and deadly end.

In Noir, the second thrilling addition to Jacqueline Garlick’s Illumination Paradox series, familiar friends struggle against new and old enemies, shocking secrets come to light, and the truth that could save this captivating steampunk world is revealed…if it doesn’t destroy everything first.

My Review

The world that Garlick creates is so very involved and compelling. There are so many details and mysterious things to muddle over in your brain as you read. This book is a great sequel! This book is a non-stop adventure that you can't pull away from.

What I liked

I really loved the dual point of views. Hearing things from the point of view of each characters is awesome. It really helps to get a better feel for the story when you can see what's going on in each characters mind. It leaves less speculation and makes for a great story.

I also loved the introduction of new characters in this. We get to meet new characters and they are described so very vividly that it makes you feel like you are there with them. The details are what really make these characters come to life. I also loved the character development, not only of the new characters but of the characters from the first book as well. 

The world that Garlick has created is unique. It has so many different elements in it and it is quite involved. So much detail and great descriptions really make this world stand out as you are reading.

What I didn't like

I would have liked to have had more of the questions answered in this book that popped up in the first book. We have mention of a world in the clouds, but have not discovered if it exists and how. There really isn't a good explanation for her mother becoming a Valkyrie. What is the significance of the device and how did it make the world fall apart? How do these things fit together? These things aren't really answered and I think that a little more details or clues would have made the book that much stronger. 

I am not too keen on cliffhangers, and this book has a cliffhanger ending. Now please excuse me while I bang my head on the wall for a few moments. Argh.

Would I Recommend It

I would absolutely recommend this book to others. For those that are imaginative and love good twists and exciting adventures, this is just the book for you! Go get this series now. You will thank me later. Now bring on the next book, pretty please?

Book Blitz: The Seventh Hour by Tracey Ward

The Seventh Hour
Tracey Ward
Publication date: January 6th 2016
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

When the Earth’s rotation slowed to a crawl mankind was plunged into a harsh world of burning hot days and endless, arctic nights. Some fled to the mountains for shelter. Others took to the seas, sailing forever in the perfect gold between the night and the day; a place known as the Seventh Hour.
Liv was raised aboard a ship chasing the Seventh. She’s never seen the night, never known true cold, and when a storm destroys her home she’s on land for the first time in her life. She’s alone, surrounded by strangers and perils she couldn’t have imagined in her worst nightmares. Her only chance at survival is Grayson.
He saved her. He’ll protect her. He hates her.
Old grudges run deeper than the sea, and Liv and Gray will have to overcome them together to make it to morning.
To survive the longest night.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

Change doesn’t happen overnight.
That’s what they used to say. I bet it used to be true.
Now it’s an idiom, a phrase we use out of six hundred year old habit that has no literal meaning anymore. Not since the world changed and everything was forced to change with it. The people, the animals. The weather and the landscape. The very nature of the Earth shifted, taking all of us with it.
And no, it didn’t happen overnight.
We adapted or we died, and if there was one good thing about the slowing of the Earth it was that it gave us time. Time to learn, time to prep, time to adjust. Time to save what technology we needed to survive and cast the rest aside. To build cities to withstand the bitter cold and the blistering heat.
Some burrowed into the mountains, building their homes and cities under the ground. They hid from the elements and they waited out the summers. The winters. The hours.
Others refused to hide. As the oceans pooled to the north and south, burying the old world and raising a new supercontinent that circled the Earth like a ring, they took to the sea. They built boats, set sail, and left the frigid night and burning day behind. They stay in the hours in between, in the half-light. That perfect hour. The golden hour.
The Seventh hour.

Author Bio:
"I don't write romances, I write relationships. One is pretty and perfect and all consuming. The other is real."
I was born in Eugene, Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) I love writing all kinds of genres from YA Dystopian to New Adult Romance, the common themes between them all being strong character development and a good dose of humor.
My husband, son, and snuggly pitbull are my world.

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Dual Cover Reveal: Gyre by Jessica Gunn and Of Scions and Men by Courtney Sloan

Today's the day for a dual cover reveal: OF SCIONS AND MEN by Courtney Sloan and GYRE by Jessica Gunn! Both books are in the New Adult category and are being published by Curiosity Quills Press.

Here's a bit about each book:

OF SCIONS AND MEN by Courtney Sloan (February 22nd, 2016)

Geopolitical babysitting while arresting preternatural killers, it’s just the daily grind for Scion Rowan Brady. Brash and sarcastic, Rowan has sold her life, her career and her very blood to the controlling paranormal ruling class of America, all to make sure her kid brother can eat. Now she uses her powers as a scion to kick the ass of any preternatural creature idiotic enough to break the rules and prey upon humanity without a license. All it costs her is her freedom and a pint or two per week to her new Master.

But juggling her job and duties becomes even tougher when she is tasked with keeping a contingency of diplomats from Canada from getting gnawed on. However, negotiations for an International Blood Exchange are interrupted when bodies start showing up. Now Rowan must rely on her talent and wit to defend the society she despises to save the lives she’s sworn to protect. But as she stumbles into the truth, she chances becoming a target of not only these killers, but of her own government. With shifters, ghosts, vampires and psychics all watching her, can she stop the killings before she is silenced?

ADD OF SCIONS AND MEN TO GOODREADS HERE

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GYRE by Jessica Gunn (February 1st, 2016)

Trevor couldn’t believe his eyes when Chelsea teleported onto SeaSatellite5. The miracle is Trevor’s absolute worst nightmare. Chelsea is Atlantean, which would be fine if Trevor’s family weren’t Lemurian—enemies of Atlantis. Then SeaSatellite5 uncovers Atlantean ruins and stumbles into the crosshairs of an ancient war. The Lemurians want the artifacts inside the ruins, and Trevor’s the only one onboard who recognizes the relics for what they really are: Link Pieces, tools used by ancient civilizations to wage their time-travel war. Chelsea and Trevor must brave the gyre of lies surrounding them. If they can’t, Atlantis will be destroyed forever.

ADD GYRE TO GOODREADS HERE

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Are you ready to see the covers?

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Here we go!

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PRE-ORDER GYRE HERE!

PRE-ORDER OF SCIONS AND MEN HERE!

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ABOUT COURTNEY SLOAN

A New Orleans native, Courtney Sloan relocated to the hills of Central Maryland after Hurricane Katrina. There she lives with her husband and fellow author, J.P. Sloan, their son and their crazy German Shepherd pup. Adding to her writing life, Courtney is also a professor at the local college and enjoys learning a world of new ideas from her students as she teaches them about writing and communicating. Courtney’s New Orleans upbringing has left her with a love for the macabre and a flare for the next to normal. She writes speculative fiction with a variety of horror and sass mixed in for flavor.

She loves taking the world of politics that haunts us now, and adding the supernatural to create a gumbo of thrills to keep you up at night. A self-proclaimed lover of way too many fandoms, Courtney also loves crafting. From blankets to jams to stories, it’s always better homemade.

Author Links: Twitter | Website

ABOUT JESSICA GUNN

Jessica Gunn is a New Adult author and avid science-fiction and fantasy fan. Her favorite stories are those that transport the reader to other, more exciting worlds. When not working or writing, she can be found binge-watching Firefly and Stargate, or feeding her fascination of the ancient world’s many mysteries. Jessica also holds a degree in Anthropology.

Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Website

Cover Reveal: Stone Legacy Series by Theresa DaLayne & Giveaway

The Stone Legacy Series #1-3
by Theresa DaLayne
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: Winter 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Add to Goodreads!

About Mayan Blood:
Their empires have fallen, but their mythology lives on…

Zanya Coreandero is a seventeen-year-old orphan with only a single friend and no hope for a normal life. Diagnosed with anxiety and night terrors, no one believes her cuts and bruises are a result of an evil entity, and not a brutal case of self-harm.

With the only home she’s ever known being the isolated institution—where breakfast is a handful of medications, the psychiatry sessions are mandatory, and her every move is watched—the only relief is her red-haired roommate named Tara, who’s more like a little sister than her best friend.

Free will is strong, but destiny is stronger.

When Zanya is kidnapped, she meets a group of gifted Mayan descendants, each with a unique ability. Gone from a nameless castaway to the only hope of mankind, Zanya is forced to make a grueling decision: bond with an enchanted stone and save humanity from rising underworld forces, or watch helplessly as Earth falls victim to a familiar dark deity from her dreams. This time, he’s playing for keeps.

A wicked secret hides behind a handsome face…

When Arwan, a dark-eyed timebender, takes interest in Zanya’s mission, it’s unclear if his intention is to help, or if he’s on a hell-bent mission for revenge. Wary of falling for another guy with major secrets and a tainted past, Zanya fights to keep her distance. If only her heart gave her a choice.

About Interlude:
Tara may have spent years in an asylum, but that doesn’t make her crazy–just fearless.

Dropped in Moscow with a the group of enchanted Mayan descendants, seventeen-year-old Tara is forced to wait on the sideline while her best friend—the Stone Guardian— battles to reclaim a friend’s soul trapped in the underworld.

It sucks being ordinary when everyone else is superhuman…

A mortal girl with a tainted past, Tara is left to deal with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. Her boyfriend, Peter, is a healer. Her best friend is The Guardian, and everyone else is a powerhouse of awesome strengths. Meanwhile, she struggles to leave her childhood of abuse in the past, and while Peter picks her up every time she falls, it becomes clear he deserves better.

When they opened Pandora’s Box, hell came pouring out…

When she’s given a chance to aid in the group’s mission, Tara is eager to pull her own weight, even if it means uncovering buried memories of being held prisoner by the underworld general. Now haunted with flashbacks of torture, Tara wanders from the safety of Peter’s arms into a city of depravity and corruption. And amidst all this evil is a young man with an agenda of his own, who leads her down a road that will either prove she is a hero at heart, or drag her into a world she’s always feared.

He wants revenge, she wants redemption. And in an underground ring of missing girls and bloody sacrifices, only the fearless can survive…

About Lights of Aurora:
After living her entire life in an orphan asylum, Zanya fears she may actually be losing her mind.

Following the discovery of her ancient Maya bloodlines, eighteen-year-old Zanya Coreandero is faced with a daunting responsibility. She must protect the relic stone while Sarian, the underworld general, ceaselessly drives her to the brink of insanity.

With the approach of an ancient bonding ceremony, Zanya struggles to control her abilities—and her desires…

As the winter solstice approaches, it brings an onslaught of unexpected side effects. While Zanya struggles to seize control over her supercharged powers, she must also face an overwhelming suspicion that her boyfriend, Arwan, is hiding a secret so dark it could destroy them both. And with her powers finally taking root, the struggle to pace their relationship takes on a life of its own.

Just when she thought life couldn’t get more complicated…

With the arrival of a surprise houseguest, Zanya’s deepest fears about Arwan are confirmed. And when middleworld deities intercede, the group of gifted Maya descendants are confronted with hardships they never saw coming—including an enemy more deadly than they have ever faced.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And when that woman has no soul and a taste for revenge, they will need the powers of every surviving ancestor simply to stay alive.

Author Bio:

Theresa DaLayne is a north-south-east-western kind of girl with a quirky personality to match her nomad life. Born in California, she migrated to three different cities in Washington State, a tiny island in Alaska, North Carolina, and finally to the suburbs of Ohio where she currently lives with her husband, three kids, vegetarian cat, and her ungrateful fish.

Always on the lookout for a new story, Theresa is a shameless eavesdropper and will take anyone who provides inspiration and mold them into a character without a second thought. She enjoys writing both paranormal and contemporary stories, considering her mind wanders between worlds of fantasy while she’s forced to live in the real world, very much against her will.

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Review: Lumière (The Illumination Paradox #1) by Jacqueline Garlick

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Title: Lumière

Series: The Illumination Paradox #1

Author: Jacqueline Garlick

Publication Date: December 12, 2013

Pages: 335

Genres: young adult, steampunk, science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction

Source: Review Copy from Netgalley

Rating: 3.5

I received this book for free from Skyscape via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis

One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything. 

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum. 

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own. 

Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

My Review

The world that Garlick creates in this book is so captivating! There are so many elements to this world. The world building is good. In fact, in some areas it is great! This story is so unique and so enjoyable. The characters are vibrant and fascinating. Overall, a very good read. I'll definitely recommend this. This is the type of story that you just become so invested in and cannot stop reading.

What I liked

I loved the characters! The characters are very well developed and so fascinating. Most of the characters are very mysterious, so much so that you are compelled to keep reading just to find out more about them. 

I liked the romance in this book. It was written very tastefully. I love how Urlick isn't drop dead gorgeous like the men in most books, and that Eyelet isn't perfect either. They both have their issues, and that makes their love more believable. Their relationship is quite charming. I was rooting for them the entire time!

What I didn't like

There are some areas that could use improvement in the world building of this story. Parts are described beautifully, but some seem to be less so. I would love to have more background information about this world. What was this world like before the flash? Maybe a better breakdown of the society after the breakdown. We see only parts of this society, but don't know much about it. 

I think that if the elements of this story linked up more then it would be spectacular! There are so many different things going on, and some of these things are only hinted upon. For instance, the magic hidden world in the sky or the fact that he mother's pet bird was a Valkyrie. Those things aren't fully touched upon and added to the rest of the story it becomes very confusing since nothing is happening with those things. 

Review: Rain (Paper Gods #2) by Amanda Sun

REVIEW

Rain (Paper Gods #2) by Amanda Sun

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Ink by Amanda Sun

Pages: 304

Published by Harlequin Teen on April 1st 2014

Series: Paper Gods #2

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

Source: Borrowed from public library

My rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis: American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling—as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control.

When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help—Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.

My review: Rain is such a fantastic sequel to Ink! OMG, I could not put this book down! I've lost so much sleep this week reading this series that it is not even funny. 

What I liked: One of my favorite things about this book is the culture. The culture is represented so wonderfully and beautifully. As an American, reading this book was almost like being in two world at once. You are learning so much about the culture and living it with the main character, AND experiencing the story that goes along with it. It is just written gorgeously. 

I really love how the story progressed in this sequel. We get to see what is at the center of the main characters' struggles, and it did not disappoint. The character progression is amazing too. We learn so much more about the characters in this. Their motives, their desires, their struggles, everything becomes clear. I loved that we found out more about some of the side characters. Knowing more about them made the story fall into place that much more. 

And have you seen the cover? Yeah, look at that cover. It is breathtaking! 

What I disliked: If I had to add a critique, I would have loved to read more! The book was 304 pages, and that is a bit short for my liking. I would have loved to hear more- more scenes, more story, or just diving deeper into the characters' histories. 

Takeaway: I would absolutely recommend this book and the entire series to anyone. It is a great novel. If you give this a try you will not be disappointed. Now please excuse me while I devour book 3!

Review: Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

REVIEW

Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

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Ink by Amanda Sun

Pages: 369

Published by Harlequin Teen on June 8th 2013 

Series: Paper Gods #1

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology, Romance

Source: Borrowed from public library

My rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis: On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

My review: In Ink, Katie is an American that goes to live with her aunt in Japan after her mother dies. At first, Katie hates it. She feels all alone- alone because she isn't fluent in Japanese, alone because everything is foreign to her, alone because she has no one to vent to and be herself with, and alone in the grief of her mother. She goes to a Japanese school and one day she witnesses a particularly bad breakup between Tomohiro, the school "bad boy", and his girlfriend. When the breakup gets physical, Tomohiro's notebook falls to the floor scattering his papers everywhere. He does not know that Katie is there until she reacts to seeing one of his drawings move on the paper. 

After that Tomohiro and Katie have brief encounters- he trying to intimidate and size her up, she determined not to take his guff. After what Katie saw in the drawing, she is determined to find out what Tomohiro is up to. She follows him to his secret spot, and a awkward friendship strikes up between them. As it so happens, Tomohiro's mother is also dead, so they have something in common. 

After finding out Tomohiro's secret, Katie is as confused as ever and a bit scared. On top of that, there are Japanese gangsters after them, not to mention a secret society supposedly trying to help him that may or may not be all that it's cracked up to be. 

What I liked: Ink is unlike anything that I have read before. Going into this, I was unsure if this would be a book that I would enjoy. After starting it, I simply could not put it down! Literally. I only had two hours of sleep in the past two days because I NEEDED to finish this book. And to be honest, I didn't want it to end. One of the things that I likes best about Ink is that it is unlike anything that I have read before, so two thumbs way up to Sun for that. The other thing that made me fall in love with this book is the characters and the character building. There is absolutely nothing bad that I could say about the main characters. I adore the way that they came together despite their cultural differences. When they are together is FEELS meant to me. It feels right. I couldn't get enough of the dialogues between the main characters. I just wanted more and more. This is definitely going on my favorites shelf.

What I disliked: If there was anything that could make this book better, it would be the ending. I though that it could have used a little more oompfh. I also thought that the supernatural parts of the story could have been explained a little better. It doesn't take away from the story, but the nerd inside me cannot rest until I know specific key points. Not just a vague understanding. I toss things around in my head, and I can't do that very well without a more concise explanation. =P

Takeaway: This book is truly amazing! The cover leaves me breathless, the story is compelling, and the character, oh my goodness, the characters are fantastic! I would recommend this book to all that love YA fiction.

Book Blitz: Sugar Skulls by Glenn Dallas & Lisa Mantchev

Sugar Skulls
Glenn Dallas & Lisa Mantchev
Published by: Skyscape
Publication date: November 10th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult, Science Fiction

Welcome to Cyrene, a city where energy is currency and music is the lifeblood of its young citizens. Everyone lives on the grid, and the residents of the world’s largest playground are encouraged to pursue every physical and emotional pleasure imaginable.
Vee is the lead singer of the Sugar Skulls, an all-girl band that is Corporate’s newest pet project. Micah haunts the city like a ghost after an overdose of a deadly illegal street drug knocks him off the grid. When Micah and Vee forge an immediate, undeniable connection, their troubled worlds collide.
Trading concert stages for Cyrene’s rooftops and back alleys, they have to evade vicious thugs and Vee’s possessive manager as they unravel the mysteries connected to their dark pasts. And before the curtain falls, Micah and Vee will bring the city to its knees in their desperate bid for love, home, and a future together.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

V

The girl in the mirror is an undead supermodel in search of a catwalk. It’s the handiwork of the new styling team Corporate brought in to deal with my hair and paint my face and glue sequins to my eyelids and shove in the black-light contacts after the old team quit.
Not that I’m admitting I had anything to do with them unceremoniously packing their kits and leaving before the last show. Better to point the finger at Jax.
In the group, Jax is “the crazy one.” Damon recruited her a year ago, just before her eighteenth birthday, and she’s driven every styling team we’ve had batshit insane with her demands.
“Spiderwebs,” she decides for her face paint tonight, then points her index fingers at a case of skunk-striped bedhead so legendary, it looks like mice have nested in it. “Just don’t touch the ’do.”
There’s a continuous rumble coming from the front of the house: newbies, fresh off the nanotech install and frothing at the mouth to get a taste of everything Cyrene has to offer. The mistress of ceremonies appears a few minutes later, hovering around the edges of my mirror like a moth about to get bug-zapped, makeup already settling into creases she thinks no one else can see. Hellcat Maggie drones on for a bit, her words painted in every shade of predictable monotony.
Eyes glued to the set list on her laptop, short hair spiked and pink, Sasha nods and makes understanding noises without really listening. Five months back, Damon pulled her from outside Cyrene, where everything is workaday business as usual, melting polar ice caps and recycling and talking heads, minimum-wage jobs and Wall Street assholes. She told me he offered a considerable chunk of cash to her poor-as-dirt family in exchange for a three-year contract capitalizing on her sound design and computer skills. Means Sasha got to leapfrog over a hundred thousand or more eager applicants all clamoring to get into the city, but instead of acting like a badass, she’s more like a puppy that might pee on the rug.
She and Jax are the same age, but you’d never guess it, because Sasha is “the nice one.”
And me? Well, I guess that makes me “the bitch.” Like now, instead of joining in Jax’s preshow pill binge or Sasha’s obsessive run-throughs of the set list, I hug Little Dead Thing and wish everyone would just shut their cakeholes. He understands my mood, curling up in a tight fur-splotched ball in my lap, purring like a rusted-out lawn mower engine. Sasha dragged this sorry excuse for a cat in off the street a couple months back. He’d almost immediately started trailing after me, gratitude be damned, yowling at doors closed between us and shredding furniture when left behind at the Loft. Just easier to bring him along, a freaky little mascot who leaves hairs all over my robe.
But I banish him to a dark corner before getting dressed. Fuck-me wardrobe. Heels so tall, I prance instead of walking through the dim red lights in the wings. Corseted waist, narrow skirt, a thousand pounds of hand-sewn beads catching the light when I step onstage. The dress was a class-me-up gift from Damon: vintage and gorgeous and beyond expensive.
I’d taken a switchblade to it, because tatters suit me better.
Still miles away from comfortable, I try to draw a deeper breath than the corset allows, and it catches in my throat. I shouldn’t be stressing. Tonight’s just a warm-up for the big to-do at the Dome. Three days and counting. Have to test the set list and the newest energy-grabbing thrum-collectors Corporate’s eager to roll out citywide.
Every time I blow up one of the old ones, it knocks me off the grid. Cue a mind-scrubbing and a nanotech reboot. I’m tired of waking up as a brand-new Vee. I’d like to keep this version of myself, even if that means making nicey-nice with the equipment.
Anything to keep Damon off my back for a little while longer.

Author Bio:
When not working on puzzles for Penny Press or writing about them for PuzzleNation, Glenn Dallas is an author of short stories and at least half of one novel. After appearing in the acknowledgments of several outstanding novels, he looks forward to returning the favor in the future.
Lisa Mantchev is the acclaimed author of Ticker and the Théâtre Illuminata series, which includes Eyes Like Stars, nominated for a Mythopoeic Award and the Andre Norton Award. She has also published numerous short stories in magazines, including Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, Weird Tales, and Fantasy. She lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State with her husband, children, and horde of furry animals. Visit her online at www.lisamantchev.com.

Author links
Lisa:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Glenn:
Website / Twitter

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Book Blitz: Paper Dolls by Ketley Allison

Paper Dolls
Ketley Allison
(Falling Paper, #1)
Publication date: November 12th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

It’s too bad for Scarlet that no matter how sweet a person is, fate can still screw you over.
Now she’s jaded, half of her torn away and the remainder flesh and bones. In her grief, all Scarlet wants to do is to rebel against the life that betrayed her and her roommate provides the perfect lure…
Scarlet awakens when she enters the New York City underground, where vice and fortunes thrive. Hustling, trickery and savagery allow her to discover her true self—-her forgotten soul reemerging. She just can’t promise it’ll come back pure.
It won’t matter that there is a shadow in her periphery. Theo Saxon thinks he can save Scarlet from a world she craves and protect her from the very elements he’s spawned from. But it’s through his unwitting instruction that Scarlet will become a part of his league and find the danger he wants so badly to keep to himself.
Scarlet thinks the stakes are within her control. But she won’t just be betting her heart on Theo and his seductive sins. She will wager her life.

Goodreads / Amazon

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Something was going to come out of the shadows and shank me.
I clung to the wrought iron fence, staying put despite Verily’s tugs on my arm. Our vulnerable bodies could be seen in every direction on the deserted street. Cars lined the road, but they stood silent, their windows shining onyx pits. Columns of brownstone buildings, bricked into two long, looming lines on either side, blocked the moon. Their rows of windows were as black as the cars below.
Blares of horns ricocheted through our residential street, but their echoes were faint. All signs of life were too far away to save me.
But I agreed to this. I wanted this.
“Relax, Scarlet. I promise it’s safe,” Verily said to me.
Maybe no knife was needed. All the monsters in the dark had to do was bend me over this waist-high fence and spear my abdomen with one of the fleur-de-lis arrowheads, the skirt of my naughty maid’s uniform flouncing in the wind and ruffling around my ass, drawing the eye of anyone who lingered.
And come on, everyone would linger.
A form pushed past us and I tensed, choking on the scream that wanted to rip out of my throat.
The cause of my stroke, a man, paused in his descension into Hell—I mean, at the second step leading down to the entrance of a brownstone. “Hey, Vare. New girl?”
Verily dug her fingers into my arm, since I clearly wasn’t prying my death grip off the fence. “Yep. She’s cute, right?”
He didn’t respond.
I was pretty sure I was gaping at him. Not because of his looks—I couldn’t see him in the surrounding darkness, just an edging of hair and a framing of shoulders. It was more because I couldn’t stop thinking about the newspapers headlining my DEATH BY FENCE AND FETISH! IMPISH MAID CLEANS OUT HER OWN INSIDES!
And it was probably written all over my face.
“She up to it?” he asked.
Verily smacked my shoulder. The fence rattled underneath my grip. “Wait’ll you see her in action.”
One of his shoulders lifted up in a shrug. I found myself wanting to hear his voice again, soft like velvet lined his throat.
He didn’t disappoint. “No reason to be scared.”
“That’s what I keep telling her,” Verily said. She wrapped a hand around my bicep and heaved. She was trying to wrench me free. Damn if I would let her. “I’m extremely convincing,” she said through her teeth.
“Mm.”
He stood with fluidity, a primal ease. He shifted, lifting his chin in a way that accentuated his angular jawline but not much else.
“Anyone gives you trouble, you let me know. They may like dressing you up, but we don’t tolerate any more than that,” he said.
“Okay,” I replied. Finally.
He sounded so adamant and sure. I wondered if all it took in my life was for a man to sound like Batman.
He nodded once before descending the rest of the way. His walk was exactly as I knew it would be. Like a lion pacing the edges of his cage.
“Is he the bouncer?” I whispered into the curled crimson tendrils around Verily’s ear.
“Nope,” she said. After one particularly unfair yank, she pried one of my hands off the iron. “But if he’s here, it means we’re late, so come. On.”
“Ow! Verily!” Another twist and pull and she had my other arm, using my sudden imbalance to drag me down the stairs. “Seriously! Ow!”
She stopped at the door and pressed a hand to my chest, my boobs so hiked up they caressed the bottom of her palm. “Rules. Tell me.”
“W—” I gripped her extended arm for balance. “What’s our safe word? I mean my safe word, to let you know when I’ve gone Code Red.”
Sighing, she dropped her arm. “Have I dragged you here against your will?”
I pouted. “No.”
“Do you need the money?”
“Yes.”
“Would I bring you somewhere unsafe?”
I glanced down at my misbehaving maid outfit, then back up at the entrance where a lithe, vulturine and kind of scary man just decided to stop in and hang out for a while.
I countered with, “Do you possess a danger meter I’m not aware of? A point at which you know we must escape?”
She shook her head. “Honestly, Scar.”
“Because I think you’re on the fritz.”
“You said you needed something,” she said, softer now. “Something to make you feel like you could live again.”
I swallowed. “You told me you were just a waitress.”
“You’re falling, Scarlet. I can’t watch it anymore. And so, I’m giving you this.”
A shuffling sound came from drums of trash behind her. Noises sounding suspiciously like a critter. “You think I need saving and you brought me to a rat-hole?”
“I don’t think you need to be rescued,” she said. “I think you need an awakening.”
That could’ve been a warning or a promise. She went on. “I know you. And I think this is what you need. But you have to promise, promise, not to tell anyone.”
I needed excitement, yes. A pounding pulse, a taste of uncertainty, a reason. I needed life.
But this. Here we were, standing on a dirty side street in the Lower East Side, dressed like a rich man’s blow up doll.
“I don’t…” I said.
“Do you trust me?”
Verily’s green eyes, illuminated by the weak golden light, seemed to shine. She stopped my fidgeting hands by pulling them closer to her.
“Yes,” I answered. Of course. She was the one thing that kept me in the present.
“Good. So trust that this will be fine. And God forbid, that maybe you’ll have fun.”
Grumbling, I said, “Yesterday you were all over me about professional responsibility, and now here we are…”
Instead of responding, she propelled me forward with another mutant-strength twist of her toothpick arms. Verily opened the front door and I toddled after her, mumbling threats involving her hair bleach.
She halted at a second door, arching a brow at me. “Just be thankful I’m not inducting you on lingerie night,” she said, and hip-bumped it open.
After one last pull, I stumbled into my new society of smoke, money and men.

Author Bio:
Ketley Allison began her creative career by writing books as birthday presents for her friends (with her friend as the main character and opposite a super sexy lead, of course) before ending it in order to walk down a path she thought she was supposed to follow.
The writing bug never left her—and, in fact, would often bleed into the official papers she was supposed to write—so now Ketley’s putting down her suit and finally following her dream. While her friends are no longer the stars of her books, she still throws in bits and pieces of them into each and every one of her characters.
As a result, her books tend to focus a lot on friendships as well as love, because let’s be honest, friends are what really get you through—especially when your epic love turns into epic heartbreak.

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Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows Cover & Blurb Reveal!

COVER REVEAL

The Prophecy Of Shadows

(Elementals Book 1)

by Michelle Madow

Michelle Madow's new book cover reveal! Go to her blog HERE to enter to win the book! Check out this description and don't forget to add it on Goodreads!

PRE-ORDER: [ Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  iBooks ]

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.

Review: The Union by T H Hernandez

REVIEW

The Union

by T H Hernandez

Goodreads

Amazon

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much. There is just so much to love about this book. Mystery, romance,  a dystopian aftermath, political aspects, excitement, and emotion. 

After a second civil war, the United States is no more. It is replaced by The Union, which borders the former United States by the coasts, and The Ruins, left devastated in the center. 

Evan is a teenage girl that doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. After graduating, she embarks with her friends, Lisa and Colin, on a vacation of sorts heading for the west coast where Lisa and Colin have internships lined up. Evan is tagging along in hopes of finding herself and her purpose in life. On the train ride that is taking them out west, Evan meets a boy from school, Bryce, that she has been crushing on. They had some exchanges prior to the train ride, but they were not really friends. Evan and Bryce spend time together on the train and Bryce admits his love for her. On one of the stops along the train ride, they all decide to venture out and see the sights. Evan is taken by a group of smugglers and they take her into the Ruins. 

Evan is rescued from the harsh landscape of the Ruins by an unusual group of young people that have banded together as a family. Evan eventually earns her place among them, all living more or less like pioneers, and comes to think of them as family as well. Eighteen year old Cyrus finds himself falling in love with Evan and a relationship between them blossoms. Now that Evan thinks that she has found her place in the world, she contemplates staying in the Ruins with Cyrus or returning to the Union. The decision weighs heavily on her.

While in the Ruins, Evan and Cyrus stumble upon some men and learn of a secret plot that threatens the Union and everyone that Evan holds dear back home. Will Evan stay, or return to the Union and warn them what is coming? If Evan warns the Union of the plot, they may retaliate and then her family in the Ruins will be in danger. If she stays in the Ruins with the man that she loves, then her family and friends in the Union will be in danger. 

This really is a compelling story with a very unique plot. There are a few things that I disliked about the book, but nothing to do with the story. The story is solid. I felt that the pacing of the book was a bit rushed. For example, in the book Evan and Bryce rush into a relationship without knowing much about the other in a day or two time frame. Then he is confessing his love. It seemed odd. Adding some more background or a little more interaction between the characters would make the love story more believable. The only other thing that I thought could use improving is the amount of story. I thought that the world building could be improved. More descriptive details about the world they live in and the characters and their backgrounds. Details were provided, but it seemed like they were few and far between. I think that little things like this can make for a big impact. It can take you from a good book to a great book. 

Although it doesn't really affect the story, I didn't like the main character, Evan. I just didn't connect with her and little things about her character made me dislike her. I just personally didn't care for Evan. You know that you are reading a good book when you can't stand the main character, but love the book! My favorites are Cyrus and Sonia. Cyrus is seriously my book boyfriend now. Hehe. In the edition that I read, there was a glimpse at the end of the book from Cyrus's perspective. It really made me like the book that much more. If the entire book was written this way it would be incredible! Or even if it were written in the points of view of Evan, Cyrus, and Bryce. Three sides of the pyramid, so to speak. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone. It is really going to appeal to those that love a dystopian romance. I can't wait to find out what happens in the second book, The Ruins!